Empathy is one of those strange qualities – something almost everyone wants, but few know how to truly give or receive it. In a world where self-gratification is emphasized, it is in short supply but high demand. This is all the more reason to teach the next generation what it means to have empathy for those around them.

　　同理心是许多人都很陌生的品质——每个人都想获得，但是几乎没有人知道如何真正去给予或是得到它。我们所处的社会，人人强调自我满足，是一种供小于求的状态。这就是我们为什么要教导我们的下一代拥有同理心的主要原因。

　　What Is Empathy? Many people confuse sympathy and empathy, but they are two distinct values. Empathy is not just the ability to understand someone’s feelings; criminals often take advantage of people by appearing to understand their feelings and subsequently gaining their trust. Empathy is more than that. Not only is it the ability to recognize how someone feels, but it also values and respects the feelings of another person. It means treating others with kindness, dignity, and understanding.

　　什么是同理心?很多人都会把同情心和同理心弄混淆，其实它们是两种截然不同的价值观。同理心不仅是一种可以体会他人感受的能力。罪犯常常就是利用表现出让他人产生共鸣的感情来获取信任。它的作用还远不止如此。 它不仅要识别一个人作何感受， 而且也要重视尊重其他人的感受。这就意味着要善待他人、尊重他人、理解他人。

　　Kids Need To See Adults Show Empathy--- While some children are gifted with naturally kind hearts, in most cases kids need to see empathy modeled by the adults around them. It begins with the way parents relate to their children. Parents who show an interest in the things that matter to their kids and respond to emotions in a positive and caring way are teaching the skill of empathy.

　　大人们需要在孩子面前表现出这种同理心---虽然有些孩子天生就有善良的心灵，但在大多数情况下，孩子需要看到周围成年人的同情心。这就要从父母和孩子的相处开始。那些对和孩子相关的事情表示感兴趣并且能够以积极、关怀的方式给予回应的父母往往就是在传授孩子如何拥有同理心的技巧。

　　Meet Emotional Needs---When children have their emotional needs met, two things happen. They learn how to meet the emotional needs of others and they are anchored in what they are receiving, meaning that they are secure enough to give to others when the need arises but first they need to receive. An empty jug cannot fill a cup.

　　满足情感需求---当孩子们的情感需求得到满足时，会发生两件事。他们学习如何满足他人的情感需求，他们被固定在他们所接受的东西上，这意味着当需要的时候，他们有足够的安全感可以给予他人，但他们首先要学会接受。 一个空罐子装不满一个杯子。

　　Talk To Kids About Emotional Needs---Many adults find it hard to talk about emotional needs or anything related to emotions. Consequently, they spend their lives tiptoeing around the subject of emotions. These are people who don’t know how to handle the emotions of others and are uncomfortable with any situation that calls for an emotional response. Sometimes they are afraid of their own emotions because they have never learned how to deal with emotional needs.

　　和孩子多沟通情感需求---许多成年人(家长)发现很难和孩子们谈论情感需求或任何与情感相关的事情。因此，他们在生活中都会小心翼翼地绕过情绪这个话题。这些人不知道如何处理他人的情绪，对任何需要情绪反应的情况都感到不舒服。有时他们害怕自己的情绪，因为他们从来没有学会如何处理情感诉求。

　　It’s a good idea to talk to kids about emotions and how other people experience them. Give their emotions names (for example, jealousy, anger, and love) and teach them that these are normal. Talk to them about how to handle emotions in a positive way and point out situations where other people are experiencing emotions. Teach them about respecting the emotions of others and show them how to act in a situation where a response is required.

　　和孩子谈论情绪以及分享其他人的感受是个好主意。为他们的情绪命名，例如嫉妒、生气、爱，并且教导他们那些都很正常。和她们探讨关于如何积极地面对情绪并指出什么情况下人们会有情绪。告诉他们要尊重有情绪的人，并且为他们示范在需要做出回应的情形下如何采取行动。